Excellent set of “Electric” railroad cards made by USPC and published by Van Noy Interstate Company for Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad. Bollhagen dates the deck c.1916, and the Dawson/Hochman Encyclopedia suggests that they date in the first decade of the 20th century. However, I would note that there is a $.10 tax stamp on the box, canceled in 1925, and this raises a question; however, I am inclined to think that the deck was stamped years after its manufacture. Accordingly, I have adopted Bollhagen’s date, but conceivably the cards were made as much as nine years later. It is a scenic railroad deck with oval photographs on every card.

The deck has 52 suited cards, plus 1 Joker. The cards are wide, measuring 88mm x 63mm, with gold gilt around, and come in the original telescope type box.

The cards are in excellent lightly used condition, with approximately 75% of the gilt intact, except that there is a corner crease on two cards, the 4 of Diamonds and the 2 of Spades (separately pictured). The box is in very good condition, structurally quite sound and without issues, but with some general soiling to the outer box.

References: Dawson, The Hochman Encyclopedia of American Playing Cards, p.265, SR3; Bollhagen, The Great Book of Railroad Playing Cards, p.43, CMSTP-4.